Into the Night
by knifethrower
Summary: Just sixteen years old, leave her alone, they say..."
1. Chapter 1

Sesshomaru blew his bangs out of his eyes. He hated to sweat. Usually, the young demon wore his straight silver hair in a long braid down his back and dressed in worn, faded jeans and a thin, white tee-shirt. Today he had sacrificed what was basically his uniform, along with his comfort, in honor of his father, and was wearing a dark suit and tie. His hair brushed out straight, hanging down his back, in spite of the heat of the day. Unlike his half-brother, Sesshomaru did not have free run of the main house. He stopped at the imposing front door, and banged on the brass doorknocker.

Inu Taisho's ranch encompassed hundreds of acres of rolling hillsides. Orange and lemon groves, hives of bees for pollination, herds of horses and cattle, and fields of crops were all overseen by his responsible elder son, Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru was in charge of the clan's finances, as well as the operation of the ranch.

On this day, Sesshomaru was scheduled to meet with his father to discuss the family's spending, which was becoming, from his point of view, way out of line. In addition to paying the wages of a large staff of human laborers and onerous California taxes, the agricultural operations had to support Inu Taisho's movie business. The movie business functioned to keep the Taisho occupied and his mistress Izayoi, who was the mother of his younger son InuYasha, in front of the camera. Sesshomaru's mother, the Taisho's wife, lived in an opulent beach house, and her jewelry design business was an additional drain on the money the ranch brought in.

Sesshomaru knew his father well, and should not have been surprised when the human servant led him to the pool area, where his father sprawled on an oversized chez-lounge, sipping a strawberry daiquiri. His father often hunted and went game fishing for marlin and the like with a famous author and outdoorsman, and had taken on many of his cohort's affectations, down to a small swarm of inbred cats, given to him by the eccentric human. Judging by the bills that had begun flooding in, the Taisho was currently planning an extremely lavish, and expensive, African safari.

There was yet another drain on the family's fortune, one which Sesshomaru viewed with more favor. A traditional Japanese shrine stood on one steep hillside, guarded by a red torii gate and reached only by climbing a flight of one hundred and thirty-three stairs. The shrine was overseen by an old Kannushi the Taisho had brought from Japan. The Kannushi's daughter-in-law helped run the shrine. His young granddaughter, Kagome, attended the same private school as the Taisho's youngest son, a hanyou named InuYasha.

While InuYasha had dishonored many girls, he cherished and honored Kagome, and watched over her with great devotion. The Taisho and his sons were dog demons, and were inclined to become devoted to those they loved.

Currently, InuYasha and his usual entourage of teenaged hangers-on were playing around the pool, splashing and making what seemed to Sesshomaru to be a great deal of unnecessary noise. The boys wore baggy board shorts, and the girls, all but Kagome, were arrayed in bright, skimpy bikini bathing suits. Kagome was dressed in white as always, in this case a modest, white, one-piece bathing suit.

Sesshomaru noted that his father wore a bright red Speedo, himself. He had the body for it, though he had lived a very, very long time, even by demon standards.

While the other young people frolicked in the water, Kagome sat quietly on a small lounge chair close to the Taisho. Sesshomaru could sense that she felt depressed. He had always been in tune with the human girl's emotions, from the time he first saved her from falling down the steep steps of her family's shrine. Barely as tall as his knee, she had been just learning to walk. He pulled up a chair that matched Kagome's, and began to try to reason with his father, a task he knew was basically futile. Accustomed to multi-tasking, he attempted to figure out what was troubling Kagome while he discussed finances with his father. He noticed that her gaze was fixed on his half-brother, as was almost always the case. He seethed with anger, seeing that the little punk had his hand down the front of a girl's bikini bottom, right in front of his honorable father and the pure little shrine maiden who idolized him.

It was out of character for Sesshomaru to allow himself to become distracted, but it was clear he had done so when his father pointedly cleared his throat. He forced himself to focus on his father, who, disturbingly, had reached out with his long arm and begun to fondle Kagome's knee. This could be taken as a gesture of comfort, in recognition of the hurt being inflicted upon her by InuYasha. But as stated earlier, Sesshomaru did know his father well, and given that fact, the caress was creeping him out. Against his will, and his better judgment, he felt his throat vibrate in a low-pitched growl, too low for Kagome to hear, but plenty loud enough to gain his father's straying attention. The demon lord stared his son in the eye, and smirked.

That night proved to be balmy, with high clouds racing across the nearly-full moon. A perfect night for an insomniac, workaholic like Sesshomaru to go for a long walk and brood. It was very, very late, or rather early in the morning, hours before dawn. Dressed once again in faded jeans and threadbare tee-shirt, he walked from his little cottage, along a the dusty road which led to the orange groves. The trees were in bloom, and the scent carried beautifully on the night wind. Along with another scent he recognized well. Kagome.

Though it had never been stated, he had always thought Kagome was intended for his brother. Half-brother. InuYasha had been wild for a long time, however, and Kagome was growing up with surprising rapidity. Though InuYasha was nearly two centuries older, the human girl was by far the more mature of the pair. The hanyou showed no signs of settling down and becoming the man she obviously needed. Sesshomaru cared a great deal about the girl. In fact, his concern for her and interest in everything about her equaled and even exceeded his obsession with running his father's ranch. Now, in addition to his grave doubts about InuYasha's suitability as a mate for Kagome, Sesshomaru had to worry about the Inu Taisho's intentions toward her as well. His strides became full of purpose as he followed Kagome's scent on the breeze.

He spotted her in the orchard, dancing around in a white cotton nightdress. The dress was long, reaching her calves and meeting her neck in a demure manner that seemed out of date even to the demon, who had lived through many centuries of women's clothing styles. Sometimes he wondered if Kagome herself chose to dress thus, or if it was forced upon her by her mother, the priestess of the shrine. Somehow, in this age, the girl had managed to remain pure as the dew that was starting to cover the mown grass under the orange trees.

Sesshomaru was a very sober and dignified man, but he was tired, for he seldom slept. He was a dog, and young as well, and this combination of facts led him to let his guard down, just this once, and engage in a moment of mischief. So quick as to be almost invisible, he darted up to the girl and pulled her back against his chest, his hand over her mouth to prevent her from crying out in alarm. He knew Kagome to be quite meek, and knew he should be ashamed of himself for doing something that would surely scare her. He rationalized, telling himself it would teach her not to endanger herself by roaming around in the night unprotected.

Imagine his surprise when the quiet little girl he held pressed against his chest bit his hand with her sharp little teeth!

Giving up his game, he released her. She spun around to face him. "Sesshomaru!" She hissed. He could see the glint in her big, expressive eyes.

"Kagome!" He answered back, and actually laughed when she hit him on the chest with her tiny fist.

"You scared me, you big lunk!"

Since he was already behaving totally out of character, Sesshomaru threw caution to the winds, and pulled her back into his arms. It was a beautiful night, maybe the most beautiful he had ever seen, with the warm wind and the moon and the stars in the sky.

"Hold on tight, Kagome." That was his only warning, before he launched himself, and the girl, up into the sky.

Kagome's heart pounded in her chest. She had known Sesshomaru, and his father as well, were capable of flight, but only in the most intellectual of ways. To be here, like this, held in Sesshomaru's strong, capable arms, crushed against his chest, was the most breathtaking and unbelievable experience of her life, without reservation. By moonlight, she could see the entire ranch, buildings, and trees, and fences, and farm animals. She could see Sesshomaru's beautiful silver hair, blowing in the wind all around her. It took all her courage, but she untwined her fingers from their death grip on his tee-shirt, and ran them through the silk of his hair.

"Just sixteen years old,

Leave her alone, they say…"

Sesshomaru looked into her eyes, and saw that she was looking back at him with an expression he had never hoped to see. Her eyes were filled with awe, and wonder and longing.

"Separated by fools,

Who don't know what love is yet.

But I want you to know…"

"Kagome…"

She heard the question in his voice, and did not answer with words. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips against his.

"If I could fly,

I'd pick you up.

I'd take you into the night,

And show you a world like you've never seen."

Sesshomaru's blood raced in his veins, responding to her heart's pounding, which to his sensitive ears sounded like the beating of a drum. While his lips had started out soft against hers, they hardened as he parted her lips with his own.

It took a minute, but once she figured out what he wanted from her, she opened her mouth to him, and let him explore her with his tongue. It was her first kiss. It was breathtaking, and magical, and it made her heart feel like it was going to explode in her chest. She moaned into his mouth, and he began to make love to her mouth with his lips and his tongue, causing a clenching in her belly unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

"It's like having a dream

Where nobody has a heart.

It's like having it all,

And watching it all fall apart.

And I would wait 'til the end of time for you…"

He knew that she wanted him, he could smell it in the air, hear it in the little noises she was making as he kissed her, feel it as he heard her heart pound and her blood rush through her veins. But he had to ask, to make it right, or as right as he was capable of making it. He pulled back and stared into her eyes again, finding them glazed with passion, staring back at him in a daze.

"Kagome, do you want me? If you do, it will be forever."

"I do want you, Sesshomaru. I've always wanted you, forever."

"And do it again, it's true.

I can't measure my love,

There's nothing to compare it to.

But I want you to know…

If I could fly, I'd pick you up,

I'd take you into the night,

And show you a love, like you've never seen.

Endlessly…"*

*"Into the Night" by Benny Mardones


	2. Chapter 2

He tilted her face upward, stroking the underside of her jaw softly with his fingertips. "Kagome, you have to be sure. I mean absolutely sure you want to be with me forever. This isn't a game, and there are no re-dos." As he spoke, he let them float back to the ground. He set her on her own two feet, and stepped away from her, though it was the last thing he wanted to do. She was just so young. While Sesshomaru himself appeared only about nineteen years of age in human years, and was regarded as a teenager in demon society, he was ages ahead of her in terms of experience and responsibility. Growing up in the Taisho family, he had to be. "What about InuYasha? You've wanted to marry him since the first time you saw him. Don't make a rash decision just because he's been a jerk lately."

"Lately?" She raised an eyebrow, a gesture she had picked up from Sesshomaru. "Besides, it's your father and stepmother that want InuYasha and me to get married and have a dozen screaming babies as soon as we get out of high school."

"Pups, Kagome."

"Whatever. I think InuYasha is starting to hate me because of all the pressure they are putting on him. He's trying to keep it a secret, but I know for a fact he's been taking Kikyo out of town on trips with him ever since she started going to our school."

"The girl in the red bikini?"

"See." She pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "She got your attention, too."

"Hnn. It's hard not to notice such blatantly fake breasts."

She giggled. "And did you get a load of those lips?"

"Horrifying." His own, unequivocally perfect lips quirked in an almost undetectable smile.

She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was so tall, so very much taller than she that she had to press her body very close to his in order to reach. She pulled his head down so that she could kiss him, and he let her, threading his fingers through her wavy black hair. At first, she pressed short, light kisses on his closed lips. She felt him tremble against her, which gave her confidence, knowing that he really wanted her. She ran her tongue between his lips. He opened his mouth to her, and she ventured inside, feeling a flash of pain as she became too eager around the sharpness of his fangs. There was the sweet, salty taste of her own blood, and then the world spun off its axis when he became the aggressor, and began to plunder her mouth mercilessly.

He had intended to be slow and gentle with her, truly he did, but the taste of her blood in his mouth undid all his noble intentions. Still, he was careful not to hurt her as he lowered her tiny body onto the grass. The breeze blew a shower of petals from the orange trees over them.

"See, the gods are blessing us." She tangled her fingers in his hair, and pulled him down on top of her.

He looked down at the girl who would be his wife. Though it was night, he could see perfectly well, her sweet, heart-shaped face, blue, pansy eyes, and soft, pink lips. He dipped his lips to hers, giving her a chaste kiss, then drawing back. "I love you, Kagome. I always have and I always will."

He said it like a vow, and she took it as such. One by one, he undid the shiny little abalone buttons at the neckline of her nightgown, then pulled the prim white garment off over her head, leaving her hair tousled and her long, slender limbs exposed for him to touch. And he did, softly and carefully, tracing every inch of her skin with reverent fingers until he came to the little white brassiere she was wearing under her nightgown. He reached behind her back and undid the hook-and-eye closure, baring her breasts to his view for the first time. 'The first of many, many times,' he told himself. Softly, slowly, he nuzzled her breasts, which were beautiful round high globes topped with dainty nipples, like little wild raspberries. He took first one and then the other into his mouth, suckling gently, taking care not to nick her with his fangs. His hands ventured lower, smoothing over her waist and hips, teasing her as his fingers slid under the waistband of her underpants. He smirked against her breasts. He remembered hearing somewhere that the best gifts came in plain wrappings, and that certainly applied to his Kagome. He slid the homely garment down over her hips, and down the long, smooth length of her slender legs. Like a doe, he thought, as he handled her ankles. So tiny, and delicate, and perfect. Swiftly he stripped out of his jeans and tee-shirt, throwing them to the side.

Perfect. She was perfect for him. Hesitantly, he stroked her hip, letting his fingers trail to the apex of her thighs. She sighed and opened her thighs to him, and he marveled at her trust. Never doubting for one moment her total innocence and lack of experience, he had expected her to be more hesitant, less trusting of him. There was just so great a difference in size and strength between them. It would be so easy for him to accidentally hurt her. But she lay still and docile, watching him with the sweetest, most trusting look that he could imagine. And then he touched her there, and she cried out softly, and bucked her hips toward him. Cautiously, he let his index finger find her tiny, hidden hole, and slowly let it slide in, just the slightest bit. She quivered in response, and he withdrew his finger, only to cautiously push it inside her again, a little deeper, this time. She let out a little whimper, whether of desire or protest he was not quite sure, but he persevered. He felt her virgin barrier, and considered whether to use his claw to breach it, to spare her the pain. She was so small, he was so big, that it worried him, a little. Somehow, she seemed to know what he was thinking. Grasping handfuls of his long, sleek hair in her little hands, she pulled him upward, cradling his hips between her thighs.

"I want to feel you inside me, Sesshomaru. Please…"

Sweat broke out all over his body, and he shook with pure desire. He could feel her wetness against him, and carefully lined himself up to enter her. He supported himself on his elbows, so as not to crush her beneath his weight. She placed her hands on his shoulders. At first he thought he wasn't going to fit, but she shifted against him, until he managed to find just the right angle to penetrate her, sliding in the first few inches. He felt, as well as heard, her sigh, and flexed his hips, making his way deeper within her. Wanting so badly to seat himself fully within her, yet hating to cause her pain, he backed off one more time and then slid home. He felt her little fingernails digging into his shoulders, and knew it had hurt her. He held still for a moment, then two, and felt her soften around him, accepting and welcoming him inside.

He was as gentle as he could be, and didn't last long, yet still, it was the most mind-blowing experience of his life. He felt so close to her, he was strongly tempted to mark her, in the old way of his people. It was never done any more. If it was, no one admitted to it. But the very thought of doing it to her made him lose control. He managed to bring her to completion a split second before he spilled inside her, then rolled over on the grass and held her against him.

He woke her when the faintest touch of pink began to lighten the eastern sky. He could not bring himself to let her return to the shrine. She was his now, and belonged under his roof, such as it was. So, dressed in her cotton nightgown, she lay down on his single bed while he set off to break the news to their families.


	3. Chapter 3

InuYasha sighed. Sometimes the wench really pissed him off. She knew he hated to be kept waiting. He cranked the steering wheel on the red Mercedes G55 AMG and stepped on the gas pedal. The Mercedes was another thing that burned his ass. She wasn't allowed to ride with him on his motorcycle, or in his Ferrari. It had to be the freakin' suv. Anything else just wasn't safe enough for little Kagome. He burned rubber on the asphalt. He was going to be late for school. The suv slid sideways with a spray of gravel as he turned onto the dirt road leading up to the shrine. By the time he stomped on the brakes at the base of the shrine steps, the suv was covered in dust. Damn Sesshomaru had his head up his ass again. He wasn't keeping up with the application of liquid dustlayer that was supposed to keep the Taisho's expensive vehicles from looking like shit. He leaned on the horn, fully expecting to see Kagome come running down the shrine steps, apologizing for being late. He waited, then honked again. Still no Kagome. Swinging his door open, he jumped out and leaped up the steps. Since he took the steps five at a time, it didn't take him long to reach the top, then a few more leaps landed him on the roof of the two-story house. Kagome's bedroom window was open, as usual. Pops wouldn't like it if he found out she habitually left her window open. The old man guarded her like a dog with a bone. He snorted at the mental image. InuYasha climbed through the open window and into her room. It would serve her right if he scared the shit out of her. He looked around the room. Her bed was neatly made. Her textbooks were open on her desk, pens and pencils scattered around the surface. She wasn't there. He cursed loudly. Inconsiderate bitch.

He slammed out of the room, and pounded down the stairs. Mrs. Higurashi was in the kitchen, humming and cooking something on the stove as always. "Mom!" InuYasha shouted.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled and smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from her apron. "Why, InuYasha. What a pleasant surprise. Would you like a waffle, dear?"

InuYasha shook his head. He had made enough noise on his way down the stairs to wake the dead. "I'm looking for you daughter. She's gonna make me late for school!"

Mrs. Higurashi looked around the kitchen, as though the girl might be standing in the corner like a broom, for crying out loud. "Fuck!" InuYasha bellowed.

Kagome's little brother Souta ran into the room, coming to a skidding halt on the freshly waxed linoleum. "What's up, dog brother?" He asked.

"I'm looking for your fucking sister, that's what's up!"

"Inu-Yasha!"

"Sorry, Mom." He mumbled. "Listen, you're going to have to drive her to school today, I've gotta get going."

"That's fine, dear."

Inuyasha walked over, his little white dog ears at half-mast. He draped his arms over Mrs. Higurashi's shoulders, and gave her a quick hug. "Thanks, Mom."

Once she heard the front door close with a loud "bang" she sat down at the kitchen table, picking thoughtfully at a little hole in the vinyl tablecloth. She was supposed to call Inu Taisho when something like this happened, but it always caused so much commotion. Mrs. Higurashi hated conflict.

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The main entrance to the Taisho's mansion was paved, but the roads that ran to the fields and outlying buildings on the ranch were dirt. Sesshomaru had been forced to cut back on maintenance of the ranch to make up for the family's spending, and it was beginning to show. Clouds of dust billowed up after vehicles passed down dirt roads, fences went without painting, and Sesshomaru spent hours of his "free time" repairing agricultural equipment that should have been replaced years ago. Thanks to the Taisho's spending habit, his oldest son had become an experienced shade-tree mechanic.

Sesshomaru drew a fat heart in the dust that covered the hood of his truck. He didn't mind driving an old beater. The white 1997 Dodge half-ton had given years of good service, and Sesshomaru was loyal that way. He formed a sentimental attachment to the machines that made the ranch run, and he didn't really begrudge the time he spent keeping them going. He drew a diagonal line through the heart, trying to decide how to go about telling his family about him and Kagome. He'd have to ask Mrs. Higurashi for permission to marry her daughter, as well. He added a triangular arrow-head to his composition. Mrs. Higurashi was a cipher. Or perhaps a Stepford Wife, though there was no husband in evidence. The Taisho seemed to fill that role admirably, however. Sesshomaru used to wonder at the way the mild woman allowed Inu Taisho to control her little family. The Higurashi's had never really assimilated to life in the United States, and the Taisho was their only source of support, so the situation was somewhat understandable. Besides, his father exerted the same control over his own life, as well. He drew short little lines in the dust, representing the fletching of the arrow.

Maybe he should tell his mother, first. Thinking about Mommy Dearest brought on an instant headache, the way eating too much cold ice cream would. He pinched the bridge of his nose in response. Maybe he would tell his mother AFTER the wedding. An old demon, as old as his father, or maybe older, she was dead-set against "race mixing". It didn't help that her place by Inu Taisho's side was now occupied by a human female. Or "stolen" by "that whore" as she put it.

On the other hand, maybe Mother would pretend to side with him, in spite of her prejudices. She really did hate the Taisho and his concubine that much. He slapped some of the dust out of his jeans, climbed into the driver's seat and took off for his mother's gallery in Santa Barbara.

It was a bright, sunshiny day, the sky as blue as a robin's egg, the vegetation on the verge of the roadways green and fresh. As much as he loved the ranch, it felt good to get behind the wheel and just drive.

Sesshomaru was one of those souls blessed with good parking space karma, meaning there was a BMW pulling out of the spot right in front of the door of his mother's gallery just as he pulled up. He parked neatly and bounded up to the entrance.

Nori felt her son's demonic aura as he approached her shop. When the door opened and he entered the room, she could not help but look up, and her heart melted in her chest. Her beautiful son. The Taisho worked him like an animal, and he dressed like a peasant, but he shone in beauty nonetheless. The pale, faded blue of his jeans and white tee-shirt, coupled with his long, silver hair and pink and blue facial markings made him look more like an angel than a demon. She knew he did not like wearing a hat, but he had chosen to wear the one she had given him for his birthday, a Stetson Pelacio II, in a color called Silver Belly. She had chosen it knowing it would compliment his coloring wonderfully. His belt was fastened with the silver and turquoise buckle she had made with her own hands, in her very first silver smithing class. She had never seen him wear the hat or buckle before. He wanted something. He had definitely come to see her wanting something. How intriguing.

"Mother."

Rather than answer, she spoke to her shop assistant, Kagura. "This spectacular hunk of demonhood is my son, Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, Kagura, of the Wind." Nori did not particularly care for Kagura, but the demoness was attractive enough, and it was past time for her son to find a mate.

"Mother. I have business I need to discuss with you. In private."

Nori blew out a gusty sigh. "While my son inherited my good looks, he has his father's boorish temperament. Perhaps his rudeness could be remedied, with the proper female companionship."

Kagura was still ogling Sesshomaru. He was the embodiment of perfection, from the toes of his dusty cowboy boots to the top of his six-beaver hat. "I would certainly love to give it a try."

Sesshomaru acted as though the wind demoness was not even there. He always ignored the females his mother and father threw at him.

Giving up the idea of matchmaking for the moment, Nori led Sesshomaru to her private office. She sat in the executive chair, and he took a seat across from her, taking off his hat and holding it between his spread knees. He decided there was no good way to approach the subject at hand, so he decided to just jump in. "I have found my mate."

"Anyone I know?" She did not correct him for using the term "mate". It was politically incorrect, and Nori loved political incorrectness. Besides, it was to spare the "feelings" of pathetic humans that the term, and the practice, had been scrapped. The concept of mating was too brutal for their

delicate sensibilities.

"Actually, yes. It is Kagome."

Nori's hand went involuntarily to her heart. "Sesshomaru, no. I forbid it."

Their gazes locked. The room was silent, for literally minutes, as Nori struggled to wrap her mind around the idea of her perfect, powerful, full demon son, actually wanting to mate a human.

"Your father is making you do this."

"Actually, my father is going to kill me when he finds out. He most likely will. Try to, anyway."

Nori wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth. This was horrible. Truly horrible. "He wants that girl for himself?"

"I was always under the impression that he intended her for Inuyasha. But lately, I've begun to feel as though there is more to it than that..."

"Who can understand that demon. Not I, most certainly. And it is not for lack of trying. There is nothing else for it, you will simply have to change your mind."

He smiled at her, and once again, his beauty took her breath away. "Too late."

"What did you DO, boy?" She hissed. "Run off to Vegas? Your father can arrange an annulment in days. Even if you've gone totally mad, and mated the little hussy, there are ways around that. Look at your own father."

His smile got wider. "I pupped her."


	4. Chapter 4

Candlelight flickered off hundreds of mirrored surfaces. The air was heavy with the scent of sandalwood incense. Though the sky was blue and the sun was shining outside, inside Tsubaki's house, it felt like the stroke of midnight. Izayoi looked across the small table at her aunt, respectfully silent as the white-haired kuro-miko stroked her hands in the air over a softball-sized crystal ball. When Tsubaki's was satisfied with her work, she set the ball on the black velvet covered surface of the table. Three crystal balls sat before the kuro-miko. One was made of smoky quartz. One was clear quartz. The third was purple amethyst. She was ready to begin.

"What is troubling you, my child?"

Izayoi's little hands twisted together on her lap. "It's InuYasha. He's been spending way too much time with a new girl at his school. I'm afraid he will lose focus and ruin everything…"

Tsubaki passed her hands over the amethyst globe. "The girls name?"

Izayoi felt the tension in her body subside. Tsubaki had been taking care of her for a long, long time. It was Tsubaki that told her everything she needed to know to catch the eye of the Inu Taisho. Tsubaki mixed the potions and cast the spells that bound the Taisho to her side, leading him to cast aside his bonded mate. Tsubaki stayed by her throughout her difficult pregnancy, and served as midwife when she gave birth to the Taisho's hanyou son. Tsubaki made sure that Izayoi kept her youthful beauty, though she was really nothing more than a human hime.

"The girl's name is Kikyo."

With the advent of the twentieth century, the smoky quartz globe foretold the events that led to the extinction of Japan's demon population, leading the Taisho and his family to safety and prosperity in the United States of America.

With her big eyes full of shadows, and waves of ebony hair to her feet, Izayoi had taken her place as one of the most famous young ingénues of the silent screen era, cast as the love interest of Douglas Fairbanks. The same year, InuYasha celebrated his one-hundredth birthday.

The kuro-miko stared into the amethyst globe for what seemed like a very long time. Softly, she instructed, "bring me a lock of this Kikyo's hair."

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Kikyo had been making the long walk from her mother's apartment to school every morning, and back again every afternoon since the beginning of the term, while Kagome rode with InuYasha in his big red Mercedes.

Kagome looked about twelve, and dull as dishwater. The other girls boycotted the knee socks that were part of the school uniform, and rolled up their pleated skirts at the waist, to show more leg. Not Kagome. She kept every button on her crisp white shirt buttoned, red tie in a regulation knot. Before and after gym class, the girls' locker room was filled with students sporting the latest styles from Victoria's Secret, in every color of the rainbow. Thongs were the norm, and high-cut bikini panties and low-rise boy shorts were considered conservative. Kagome was the only one who wore plain white granny panties. And yet rumors persisted that, as soon as she graduated from her senior year, she would marry InuYasha. The richest boy in school, and possibly the most handsome, as well, though some girls preferred Bankotsu, the jock, or even Miroku, the man-whore.

Kikyo's mother had assured her that, if she just showed an interest in the hanyou, he would fall at her feet. She had even signed the waivers for breast augmentation surgery and collagen injections for her daughter's lips, and coughed up thousands of dollars to pay for them.

Mother was wrong. Even once Kikyo began to put out, InuYasha remained loyal to Kagome, driving her back and forth to school and refusing to take part in Kikyo's attempts to destroy her self-esteem. Still, he did stop sitting with Kagome at lunch and school assemblies, sitting beside Kikyo instead. Kikyo made sure that Kagome heard about their trips out of town, and set it up so she walked in on InuYasha kissing her on more than one occasion.

Any other girl would have retaliated, or at least broken down in tears. But not Kagome. Kagome went on as usual, hanging out and laughing with her friends, who also happened to be the most popular students in school.

It made Kikyo so mad she could spit.

She had made InuYasha promise to meet her before first period, even hinting that she had a little surprise planned for him. He slid through the door after the first bell rang, casting her an apologetic glance, his little dog ears flattened against his head.

Lunch hour arrived, and Kagome had still not showed up at school. InuYasha was sweating. Kagome never ditched school. He considered calling his father, but didn't want to suffer the fall-out.

Halfway through lunch, Sango sauntered over to his table, Miroku following after her as usual. Sango, Miroku, Bankotsu, and Bank's cousin Jakotsu had laid claim to a table on the opposite side of the lunchroom when Kikyo started sitting with InuYasha. Sango sneered at Kikyo before addressing InuYasha. "Where's Kagome, dog boy?"

Sango used to be his good friend. Miroku used to be his best friend, before he started fucking Kikyo. The whole situation made InuYasha feel rotten.

"Dudes, I don't know. She didn't meet me at the mansion this morning, and when I went over to the shrine to pick her up, her mom and Souta hadn't seen her. I told Mom I was running late, and she would have to drive Kagome to school, but…" He waved his free hand around to signify how confused and worried he felt.

Kikyo snuggled closer to his opposite arm. She hated it when he called Mrs. Higurashi "Mom".

"Probably in her room, crying in her pillow." She remarked snidely.

"No. I checked her room. Her bed was made but she wasn't there. I tried to sniff her out, but she hadn't been there in a while."

Kikyo seethed at the casual way he spoke of being in Kagome's room. He had never been in her bedroom. There was no way she could take him home to meet her mother, or allow him to see their slummy apartment. "Maybe gave up on hanging around InuYasha, and found herself her own boyfriend." Kikyo looked around the lunchroom. "Wasn't that loser Hojo absent today as well?"

Sango balled up her fist, ready to flatten the little bitch's nose. Miroku, always poised to react to his girlfriend's violent gestures, grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the other girl.

InuYasha remained oblivious to the byplay, but reacted aggressively at the mention of the human boy's name. Hojo was actually not a loser at all. He was the top-ranking senior on a fast track for a medical degree, and excelled in both track and football. In a mixed school, with demon, hanyou, and human students, that was saying a lot. "That Hobo better not even think about going anywhere near my Kagome." InuYasha growled.

Miroku, normally the peacemaker, had to chip in. He hated the way Kikyo was treating Kagome, and couldn't understand why InuYasha let the bitch lead him around by his dick. "So, now she's suddenly 'your' Kagome."

"She's always been MY KAGOME, and everybody knows it. So, you two up for helping me look for her as soon as school lets out?"

Sango quickly agreed, and where Sango went, Miroku followed. Kikyo piped up. "I'll go, too, Inu."

"You better just go home, Kikyo. My dad had a little talk with me, and he's not cool with us spending so much time together." She was left gasping like a fish on dry land when the bell rang, and everyone darted off for their afternoon classes.


	5. Chapter 5

This story is a real quickie, I am updating fast. Make sure you don't skip over a chapter…

Sesshomaru's cell phone rang for the fifth time, and after glancing at the display, once again he decided not to answer. He had spent way too much time with his mother. It was well after noon. The little overseer's cottage got really hot in the afternoon. There was no air conditioning, and not even any television for her to watch. His computer wasn't hooked up to the internet. It wasn't even loaded with a single game of solitaire. The computer was old, and he had removed anything that wasn't business related, hoping to gain a modicum of speed. He winced, realizing the refrigerator didn't hold anything but a couple six-packs of St. Pauli Girl*. Maybe there was some Dos Equis*. And a lime, which might or might not have gone bad. He was up at dawn, and always ate with the ranch foreman, Miguel, so there was no sense in keeping food around.

Kagome didn't have a cell phone, so he couldn't call her. He had spoken with Mrs. Higurashi about getting her one on several occasions, but the woman had insisted it would just distract Kagome from her studies.

He reached over to the dash, and flicked on the classic rock station. He preferred classical music, but the radio didn't bring in many stations, and the truck didn't have a cd player. The speakers did kick ass, however.

"Beth I hear you calling,

But I can't come home right now.

Me and the boys are playing,

And we just can't find the sound.

Just a few more hours,

And I'll be right home for you.

I think I hear them calling.

Oh, Beth, what can I do?

Beth, what can I do?"

His cell phone rang. It was his father again. Nori had been so concerned about the Taisho's reaction to finding out what he had done, she had almost forgotten her disappointment at learning her grandchildren would be hanyou. Seeing the powerful and willful demoness reduced to a state of fear and paranoia had made him a little worried, himself. Father had always told him that having someone to protect made a male stronger. Sesshomaru found that it made him feel more anxiety-ridden, not more powerful. He decided to pick up, this time.

"Sesshomaru."

"Father." Thus far, the conversation boded well. If his father had found out about him and Kagome, he would be bellowing by now.

"Myoga called. He wants to set up a meeting with you to go over some papers."

"Thank you for letting me know, Father. I'll make sure to get back with him."

"By the way, Sesshomaru, the bar needs stocking. Any chance of your picking up a few things?"

"You say you feel so empty,

That our house just ain't a home,

And I'm always somewhere else,

And you're always there alone…"

"Sorry, Father, but you'll have to get…" Thankfully, the cellular gods chose that moment to interrupt his service.

"Just a few more hours,

And I'll be right home to you.

I think I hear them calling.

Oh, Beth, what can I do?

Beth, what can I do?"*

Sesshomaru let the speed edge up a little. The truck was old, but it hugged the road, solid as a rock. He had a woman to get home to.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

"Okay, guys. Here's the plan. You head up to the shrine, and check with Kagome's mom. Chances are, Kagome's back home by now, and there's nothing to worry about. If she isn't, make sure Mrs. Higurashi doesn't get it in her head to call my dad. The last thing we need is a wild inu on a rampage."

"You can say that again." Miroku knew all about how crazy the Taisho could get. He would never forget the day he had referred to Izayoi as a 'MILTF'.

"Call and let me know what you find out. I'll start sniffing around the perimeter of the shrine grounds, and see if I can pick up Kagome's scent."

InuYasha** bounded off, eager to begin his search. The afternoon air was hot, and the heady scent of citrus in bloom interfered with his tracking ability. Grasshoppers chirped loudly in the tall grass. Every ten feet or so, he had to stop to let out a powerful sneeze. At this rate, he was going to break a fucking rib. It seemed like hours went by, and his cell still hadn't rung. He checked the display. He had plenty of bars, and no missed calls. He had resorted to sniffing around on all fours when the phone finally went off. "Yo. Sango. Wazzup?"

"Kagome's mom says she hasn't seen her all day. It was pretty easy to convince her not to call your father. I think she's afraid of him."

"Ya think?" No shit. Who wasn't afraid of riling up old Darth Taisho*.

"I can't believe that woman won't let Kagome have a cell phone. Does she think this is the dark ages or something?"

"Or something. Dad has her thinking she's still living in Japan, in the feudal era. Listen, I haven't had any luck picking up Kagome's scent yet. This pollen is killing me. Why don't you find ice prick, and see if he's seen her. She's always had a crush on him, maybe he's got her riding around in that piece-of-shit pickup truck with him." Thinking that she might be with his half-brother made him seethe. She spent way too much time hanging around that stuck up asshole. He flipped his phone shut with a snap.

"InuYasha says we should check with Sesshomaru, see if he's seen Kagome around. Any idea where we should start?" Miroku might know where to look for Sesshomaru. He was one of the few people who actually liked the guy.

"He usually gets most of his running around done in the mornings, when it's cool. There's a good chance he'll be in that old barn he uses as a shop. He's been doing an awful lot of repair work on the farm vehicles lately."

Sango climbed into the driver's seat of the Mercedes*. Unlike most of their classmates, Sango did not come from a rich family. Like Bankotsu, she had been given a scholarship to their private school based on her athletic prowess. Under Affirmative Action, schools that engaged in competitive sports had to have both human and demon athletes. So humans with unusual athletic abilities were highly sought after, and courted by competing high schools. Driving the Mercedes made her female side feel like Paris Hilton*, and her warrior side feel like Vin Diesel*. She waited while Miroku carefully fastened his shoulder harness. "Pussy."

"On the contrary, my dearest Sango, I simply realize how pumped up you get any time you get a chance to drive one of the Taisho's vehicles. Why, I remember like it was just yesterday that time Inu Papa sent you out to pick up hotdog buns in his Hummer*…" He was cut off, mid ramble, when she shoved her foot down on the gas pedal. The big suv sashayed as she set it bombing down the road toward Sesshomaru's shop. "Sango, you made me bite my tongue again." He whined.

Minutes later, Sango pulled up in beside the white Dodge pickup parked outside Sesshomaru's shop. She jumped to the ground and hotfooted it inside, Miroku following closely at her heels. He did not want her left alone for even a moment in the company of the powerful demon. Sesshomaru brought out Sango's aggressive side. The two mixed about as well as oil and water. Or gasoline and an open flame.

"Sess-sho-ma-ruuu!" Sango came to a screeching halt. Miroku, who had crashed into her from behind, peeked over her shoulder to see what had brought her up short.

"Oh, hey Miguel. We were just looking for Sesshomaru." Sango had overlooked the fact that Miguel drove the exact same make and model pickup as Sesshomaru. Both vehicles had been purchased at the same time, and the only difference was that Sesshy's truck had more miles on the odometer, and Miguel had installed an awesome sound system in his.

Miguel smiled angelically at Sango. He got a real kick out of the high school girl, and was glad that Miss Kagome had such a devoted friend. "Hey there, Miss Sango."

"Hey. What's with the Miss Sango shit?"

"Just jerking your chain, Miss Sango. I haven't seen Sesshomaru all day, which is really unusual. Why don't you check at the overseer's cottage? Could be he got tied up with some paperwork, or maybe he is hiding from the Taisho, or something."

Sango tapped her teeth with a chewed-off fingernail. She didn't want to waste valuable time running all over the ranch looking for Sesshomaru. The place was frickin' huge, and if he was hiding out from his father, she'd never find him. She pulled out her cell. "What's Sesshy's cell phone number, por favor?"

"555-1212." Miguel went back to wrenching on the tank sprayer.

"The number you have reached, 555-555-1212, is not available." Sango snapped her phone shut. She pivoted on her heel, dogged closely by Miroku. They got back in the Mercedes, and took off for Sesshomaru's cottage.

Kagome had woken up about three in the afternoon, wrapped around Sesshomaru's pillow. It smelled divine, like bleach and fresh air and sunshine, with the faint whiff of wisteria flowers, the scent which seemed to linger anywhere he went. She rolled out of bed and hobbled into the bathroom. 'I'm going to have a talk with Sesshy when he gets back. I think he broke me last night…' The bathroom in Sesshomaru's house, which, upon reflection, was most likely her house, now, as well, was tiny but immaculate. She used the toilet to pee, then cranked on the hot water in the shower. Peeking inside, she saw a pure white bar of Ivory Soap* and two humungous plastic bottles of Pantene*. She grabbed the clean white washcloth she found folded neatly by the sink. 'I bet it takes a lot of shampoo and conditioner to keep all that hair nice.' Kagome reflected, as she scrubbed her own scalp with the opalescent white shampoo. Fortunately, there was no sign of a razor, or she would have borrowed it to shave her legs. She was too young and inexperienced to have learned that lesson, yet. She finger combed a glob of conditioner through her hair. She didn't have a toothbrush, so she rubbed her teeth with the washcloth, considering herself very resourceful. It was the first morning ever that she had skipped brushing and flossing. Sesshy was proving to be a bad influence, on so many different levels.

Exiting the shower, Kagome found Sesshomaru's brush. Like everything else in his house, the brush was immaculate. There was not a single hair trapped in its bristles. She could tell it was expensive. It must have been a present from his mom. Unlike InuYasha, Sess didn't have many nice things. Sess was just Sess, and she liked it that way. A minimalist. Self-contained.

She looked around to see if he had left her a note. She knew he went to work early, and stayed late, and he never took a day off, so she wasn't worried. Just hungry, and thirstier than hell. On the way out to the front porch, she stopped by the kitchen and peeked inside the refrigerator. Just beer. In one corner lurked a shriveled lime. She opened the freezer, which was just a tiny box inside the main part of the ancient refrigerator. The ice cube tray was empty. She grabbed a beer and went out on the front porch. She had been deflowered by a demon, woke up alone in his bed, failed to brush her teeth, and now she was about to drink her first adult beverage, all in the space of about twelve hours. 'Way to go, Kagome!'

She drank her beer, which was ice cold and wet but tasted and smelled nasty, and brushed her hair, sitting out on the old front-porch swing. After a while, she got bored, so she went inside, hoping to find a book to read. There was an unpainted bookcase against one wall of the kitchen. It held a ton of bound computer printouts pertaining to the operation of the ranch. The topmost shelf held a bunch of big, hardbound textbooks from when Sesshomaru went away to ranch school. She thought she had hit the jackpot when she spotted a solitary mass-market paperback. "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance*." Hmmm. She picked up the book, wishing it was a historical romance, grabbed another beer, and went back to her perch on the swing.

She was really getting into the book, feeling as though she were learning something about the man, err, demon she loved, and getting a buzz on from the beers, when she saw a cloud of dust closing in fast. "Sesshy." She breathed. She made out a flash of red. "InuYasha". Shit. Damn. Fuck.

The suv screeched to a halt in a shower of gravel, and out hopped Sango, followed closely by Miroku. Kagome waited for InuYasha to come piling out, and when he didn't, she smiled in relief. "Sango! 'Roku! What are you doing here?"

Sango ran up to Kagome, hugging her tightly. "Thank god you're here, Kagome." She backed off, and noticed that Kagome was dressed in her nightgown. "You got some 'splainin to do, girl."*** Miroku stood back, a lecherous grin on his pretty face. He couldn't wait to hear Kagome's explanation.

"Sit down and I'll get you two a beer!" Kagome chirped. She ran inside, only limping just a little, and came back out with three cold ones. Miroku looked at his Dos Equis. "Got lime?"

"There is one in the 'fridge, but I don't think you want it. It looks kind of like Master Jaken's wrinkly green head!" Kagome broke out in a fit of giggles.

"Does Sesshomaru let you drink beer?" Sango asked, in an outraged tone. She didn't think about the fact that she had been trying to get Kagome to drink since they started ninth grade together.

"It is one of the rules I live by, you know. Don't ditch school, brush and floss twice daily, balanced nutrition…" She looked hopefully at Miroku. "You guys didn't bring any snacks, did you?" He shook his head no. "Remain a virgin until I graduate from high school and marry InuYasha…"

Her two best friends were staring at her, mouths agape. Sango waded in. "That's kind of why we were looking at you. You never ditch school."

"There's a first time for everything, they say." Kagome answered nonchalantly.

"And you didn't brush your teeth, or eat breakfast or lunch, either?"

Kagome shook her head. "Nope."

Miroku interrupted, eager to get to the good part. "Obviously, you are drinking beer. Thank you for sharing, by the way."

"No problem".

"So, does that mean that you are no longer a virgin, either?"

"Nope. I mean yep. I mean…"

Sango listened in. Her face was growing redder and redder.

"That damn Sesshomaru! What is he, like, five hundred years old or something! What the hell was he thinking!"

"Sango," Kagome whined. "We're in loooovvve…."

*St. Pauli Girl, Dos Equis, the Band Kiss, the song "Beth", Star Wars, Mercedes Benz, Paris Hilton, Vin Diesel, Hummer, Ivory Soap, Pantene, and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" are all the property of their respective corporations.

**'InuYasha' and friends are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz Media.

***Thanks, FangedBeasty, for that line.


	6. Chapter 6

"InuYasha, we've found Kagome. Meet us at Sesshomaru's house."

"I knew that fucker had something to do with this!" InuYasha growled. "Don't move. I'll be right there."

"Sango…" Kagome whined. She really didn't want to talk to InuYasha right now. It occurred to her that beginning her drinking career with three beers on an empty stomach might not have been a very good idea. She was starting to feel kind of woozy.

"InuYasha might be a giant ass, but he's been worried sick about you." Sango flipped open her phone again.

"Call Sesshy for me." Kagome begged.

"Sesshomaru knows where you are. Your mother doesn't. You want me to give you the phone so you can tell her what you've been up to?"

Kagome shuddered. "Just tell her I'm all right."

Sango hit speed dial. After a short conversation, she flipped the phone shut. "Your mom said to tell you she was making miso soup."

Kagome's stomach lurched at the thought of salty, fishy broth laced with kelp, sardines, and died tuna. Why couldn't her mother learn to make chicken soup, like all the other kids' mothers?

InuYasha covered the distance between the shrine grounds and the overseer's cottage in less time than it would have taken to drive, coming to a stop poised on the balls of his feet and the splayed fingers of one hand. "Ka-Go-Meee!"

Kagome turned pale, then blushed. Suddenly, InuYasha was in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her against his chest. "Kagome." His nose twitched. His Kagome smelled… different.

"Hey little sister, what have you done?

Hey little sister, who's the only one?"

He buried his nose in her hair, nuzzling the nape of her neck. "You smell… like my brother." And it wasn't just because she had washed her hair with Pantene and her body with Ivory Soap.

"Hey little sister, who's your superman?

Hey little sister, who's the one you want?

Hey little sister shotgun!"

"You… Little… Bitch!" He pushed her away from him, and she stumbled, falling on her tailbone.

Sango stepped forward. "InuYasha!"

"It's a nice day for a white wedding…

It's a nice day to start again…"

InuYasha raised his hand, daring her to come after him. Suddenly, the claws his human friends were so used to seemed very threatening, but Sango did not back down.

"Hey little sister, who is it you're with?

Hey little sister what's your vice and wish?"

"You have no right, InuYasha!"

The whites of his eyes were tinged with blood. "She was supposed to be MINE!"

"You've been fucking Kikyo. Did you think Kagome wouldn't find out, when the bitch rubbed her nose in it every chance she got?"

"Hey little sister, what have you done?

Hey little sister, who's the only one?

I've been away for so long…

I've been away for so long…

I've been away for so long…

I've let you go for so long…"

"Kikyo." InuYasha's voice sounded strange. His fangs, which usually gave the hanyou a cute and somewhat roguish air, appeared suddenly bigger. Sango realized that they actually were bigger, hindering his speech and making it sound menacing. He turned on the balls of his feet and disappeared into the grove of locust trees which shaded the little house.

"There's nothing fair in this world.

There's nothing safe in this world.

There's nothing sure in this world.

There's nothing pure in this world.

There's nothing left in this world…"

Miroku helped Kagome to her feet, holding her in the curve of his arm until she was safely seated on the porch swing. For once, he didn't try to cop a feel. Sango sat beside her. Kagome's cheeks appeared flushed. Sango felt her forehead with the back of her hand. "We're getting you back to your mother's, now."

"It's a nice day for a white wedding.

It's a nice day to start again…

It's a nice day to start again…

It's a nice day to start again!"

"I'm staying right here, until Sesshomaru gets back."

"Kagome, you've been sheltered by your mother and the Inu Taisho for your entire life. You don't understand what men are like."

Miroku grumbled in protest at his girlfriend's sweeping assessment of manhood.

"Just shut up, Miroku. You're as bad as InuYasha and Sessomaru. How many girls have you promised things you didn't mean just to get in their pants?"

Miroku blushed, and shut up.

"You are wrong, Sango." Kagome spoke confidently. "Sesshomaru made ME promise HIM forever, before he would even touch me."

Miroku tried reason. "I'm sure Sesshomaru cares about you. Something must have held him up. But he wouldn't want you to go without food, Kagome. Write him a note, and we'll all go to your house so you can eat."

Kagome's complexion went from flushed to green in ten seconds flat. "Come on guys, miso soup?"

Sango agreed. "I believe that is against the Geneva Convention, which forbids cruel and unusual punishment." She pulled out her phone, found Sesshomaru's number, and pressed the green key. They could all hear the snotty voice of the cellular service recording. "The wireless subscriber you are attempting to call is not available." She glared at the phone. "Stupid bitch."

Next she called the shrine. "Mrs. Higurashi, it's Sango. Kagome and InuYasha had a little disagreement, so I invited her over to my house for some girl talk. No, no, ma'am, there won't be any boys, just me and Kagome. All right, I'll let her know. 'Bye, now."

"I'm supposed to let you know you better come to your senses and start realizing how lucky you are to have a fiancé like InuYasha."

"I told her about Kikyo. She believes me, but she says that boys like InuYasha have needs, and that once we are married, he'll stop running around."

Miroku looked intrigued. "What an understanding woman."

Sango thumped him on the back, hard. "Kagome, leave a note for lover boy. We'll eat at Joe's."


	7. Chapter 7

Joe's was a faded green diner car. It looked like it had been picked up by a tornado and set down in the middle of a big vacant field. It had been open twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, year in and year out for the past seventy years or so. The only dining spot for twenty miles, it was surrounded by a wide assortment of vehicles, the preponderance being rusted out pick-up trucks. Sesshomaru's Dodge blended right in. As he shouldered his way through the glass door, he was hit by a wall of hot air, laden with the smell of greasy meat, onions, and French fries. This time of day, the counter was populated with old men. Half of them sported beat-up cowboy hats, the other half favored the trucker caps handed out by farm equipment companies. "Sesshy, boy!" "Hey, Sesshomaru, have a seat, my boy!"

Joe glanced up from his coffee cup. Daring to be different, he wore a greasy trucker cap asking the world 'Where's My Senior Discount?' instead of an advertisement for John Deere tractors or the Cat logo. "Look, Sesshy's all dressed up. You getting married, Sess?"

"_Eternal blue neon,_

_We're never closed._

_When the world is asleep,_

_Darling come take a seat._

_You can always eat at Joe's"*_

Joe was still spry at ninety years of age, but he had given up his place at the grill to his daughter, Rosie. Rosie leaned on the counter, bracing herself on her beefy arms. "What can I get for you, Sesshy? Raw meat?" Her adoring audience lined up on the little round stools cackled appreciatively.

"Something healthy for a human to consume. An omelette?" Sesshomaru wracked his brain, trying to come up with something Rosie could cook which he was willing to feed his pup. He wasn't 100 percent certain Kagome was pregnant, but she had been fertile, so the chances were good. "With vegetables and ham. No onions." The smell of grilled onions made him ill.

"Miguel ain't gonna want no omelette, Sesshy. How 'bout a big beef burrito, extra sauce." Joe suggested, helpfully.

"It is not for Miguel."

"Who's it for then?"

"Miss Kagome."

Rosie chipped in. "Miss Kagome ain't gonna want no omelette, neither, Sesshy. Miss Kagome's gonna want a double burger, American process cheese, and fries. You get her chili cheese fries on the side, that girl gonna love you, instead of that no good brother of yours."

"Leave the boy alone, Rosie." Joe cackled. "Get him his omelette. Ya want some milk to go with that, Sesshy?" The old man got up and grabbed a big Styrofoam cup.

"Milk would be good."

They both ignored Rosie, who was muttering something about Miss Kagome and Coca-Cola** as she slung the makings of the omelette on the grill.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

Sango cranked the steering wheel and rolled to a stop in the parking lot. Kagome had changed into Sango's school uniform in the back seat, smacking Miroku in the head every time he tried to sneak a peak. The three teens piled out and swarmed up the concrete steps of the diner, almost running over Sesshomaru, who was on his way out, carrying a big Styrofoam box and sixteen-ounce cup.

Sesshomaru normally could not tolerate the diner's cramped booths, but since the close quarters forced Kagome to sit close by his side, his inner beast purred in contentment. Kagome was stuck watching Sango and Miroku digging into their big burgers and greasy fries, while she dutifully ate the omelette Sesshomaru had bought for her. Catsup helped. She drew the line at the container of milk, however, even when Rosie offered to pour it into one of the diner's plastic glasses for her. Rosie smirked.

"Could you get me a Coca-Cola with lots of ice, please?" Kagome asked politely.

"You will drink the milk, Kagome." Sesshomaru stated, firmly.

"I want a Coke, Sesshy. I'm really thirsty."

Sesshomaru nuzzled the nape of her neck. Evaluating her scent. His big hand settled on her thigh, left bare by the short pleated skirt of Sango's school uniform. Kagome felt her nipples harden at his touch, along with a strange tug in her belly.

"Too much sugar and caffeine. Coca-Cola would not be good for our pup."

You could have heard a pin drop.

*"Eat at Joes" by Suzy Bogguss

**Coca-Cola is the property of The Coca-Cola Company.


	8. Chapter 8

Miroku urged everyone up from the table. Once they were out the door, he walked over to the outdated register to pay for his and Sango's burgers. For what was probably the first time in seventy years, silence reigned supreme in Joe's Diner. "Well, folks, you all are the first to know of Sesshomaru's good fortune." He wracked his brain, trying to think of how to ask the gossipy denizens of Joe's to keep their mouths shut until Sess had a chance to break the news to his father and Kagome's mother.

Joe spoke with authority that did credit to his great age. "Relax, son. Ain't nobody her gonna do any talking out of school. Right, everyone?" The old men at the counter mumbled agreeably. Rosie grabbed the coffee pot and topped up everyone's coffee.

'Well, that was easier than I expected.' Miroku thought. Now he just had to get out the door in time to keep Sango from doing any permanent damage to the father-to-be.

A wide grin split his face from ear to ear when he found the two girls, nose to nose, practically growling and snarling at each other. Miroku sauntered over to join Sesshomaru where he was leaning nonchalantly against the side of his truck. "Did I miss much?"

"Kagome is defending her mate." Sesshomaru asserted, pride evident in his voice.

Miroku fought down the urge to scream out 'cat fight!' He settled for stating sedately, "That's hott."

"Indeed." Sesshomaru opined, smugly. He could not remember anyone ever standing up for him.

They were interrupted by Kagome screaming, "Why does everyone think they can tell me what to do!"

"Because you are an idiot!"

"You've slept with Miroku."

"I'm a year older than you, and I'm not the one who got knocked up!"

Both girls stopped to think for a moment, then turned their attention to Sesshomaru. Miroku sidled away from the big demon's side.

"Coward." Sesshomaru hissed softly.

Sango advanced on Sesshomaru, pointing a finger inches away from his nose. A big drop of sweat appeared on Miroku's forehead, but he kept his distance. "You. You demon, you. You knew exactly what you were doing, didn't you!"

Sesshomaru's arms were folded across his chest, his face perfectly expressionless.

"She's just sixteen-fucking-years old. Sixteen. Comprende?"

"What is your point, woman?"

"She's too young for whatever it is you have planned for her. She won't even have a chance to graduate high school!"

Sesshomaru cocked one eyebrow. "She is to be my mate… My wife. She will birth my pups, and stand by my side."

Miroku decided his services as a translator were called for. "Sesshomaru, Sango is concerned that Kagome is too young to fill that role. Times have changed, and sixteen is considered a little young for a girl to be mating and bearing young."

"Felicidad is sixteen."

Miroku explained to Sango, "Felicidad is Miguel's wife."

"I know that." Sango's mind short-circuited. She liked Miguel, and saw nothing wrong with his marriage to sixteen-year-old Felicidad. Their story was kind of sweet, really. Miguel had waited eagerly until Felicidad turned sixteen, saving up his money for a huge wedding. Sango and Kagome had been part of the bridal party, dressed in gosh-awful matching lavender dresses.

"So, now you are calling me a racist!" Sango sputtered.

"No one called you a racist, Sango. Merely bear in mind that Miguel is the only human Sesshomaru interacts with."

Sesshomaru put in his two cents worth. "Miguel is an honorable man."

Miroku agreed. "Miguel is respected by all."

Sango was silent for a moment. Quietly, she ventured, "Felicidad is not pregnant…"

Sesshomaru grinned. A very rare occurrence. "Felicidad is pregnant. Miguel's mother asked me to invite you to her baby shower." His grin disappeared. "I do not know about this shower."

Kagome giggled. "I am a little confused about Sess saying I'm pregnant. We only did it the once, and it was just last night. Can demons tell when a woman is going to have a baby?"

"Pup." Sesshomaru corrected.

"Can demons tell when a woman is going to have a pup?"

Sango glared at Sesshomaru. "I doubt he can tell quite yet. But he definitely knew you were fertile." Sango was all knowed up about demons.

Kagome glared at Sesshomaru. "Why didn't you ask me if I was ready to have your… pup?"

"I did. Remember? I asked you twice."

Kagome's brow wrinkled, as she attempted to recall all that had been said the previous night. Between the flying and the sex, it was hard to dredge up the details of their conversation. Finally, a light went on in her head. "Oh, yeah, you did. Kinda." Sesshomaru definitely needed to work on his communication skills, if they did not want to have to keep Miroku around as an interpreter.

Miroku resumed his role as mediator. "We have determined that Sesshomaru is socially awkward…"

He was interrupted by Sango. "He is not just socially awkward. He's socially retarded." She switched her glare to Sesshomaru. "Naco."

Sesshomaru flashed a little fang, just to remind her who, and what, she was dealing with.

"At any rate," Miroku continued, "Sesshomaru, Kagome's family and your own family need to be notified. You might want to just tell them you two are getting married. Hold off on the whole 'pup' thing. On the up side, InuYasha already knows."

"I don't know if that's a good thing." Sango commented.

"Me neither." Kagome agreed. "But I'd rather tell InuYasha than my mother."

"You have nothing to fear from your mother, or anyone else my mate. From this point on, you will be staying close to me." He recalled his mother's terror when he told her he intended on defying Inu Taisho. He was beginning to think it was long past time he stood up to his honorable father. "I have already notified my mother. She offered her support, in her own way."

Sango had been thinking about Inu Taisho as well. "Sesshomaru, is there any chance InuTaisho would be able to detect if Kagome is pregnant?"

"…"

"I'll interpret that to mean you aren't quite sure. I suggest you leave Kagome with us, and go tell Mrs. Higurashi and the Taisho on your own. I've got a bad feeling about this."

Sesshomaru nodded. He would have to get a move on if he was going to have this all finished by nightfall. He had definite plans for the night, and they revolved around Kagome. He captured her gaze with his, delivering a smoking hot look, promising things she could not even wrap her little brain around. He swung himself into the cab of his truck, and headed off for the Taisho ranch.

Kagome watched until the truck disappeared out of sight. She sighed. "A hug or a kiss goodbye would have been nice."

Miroku's eyebrow quirked. "I get the feeling Sesshomaru isn't a huggy-kissy kind of guy."


	9. Chapter 9

There was something dirty and thrilling about standing by and watching Kikyo putting Kagome down, insulting, and degrading her. Knowing that Kagome knew he was sticking his dick in Kikyo. He was not an idiot. He knew perfectly well that Kikyo, with her fake breasts and her desperate red lips and grasping red nails, was not in the same league as Kagome. Doing something so dangerous and destructive to his destiny had felt so very satisfying.

There was something whispering in a dark corner of his mind, the realization that by fucking Kikyo, he was saying 'fuck you' to his powerful father, his manipulative mother, and their plans for his life. It felt dangerous, rebellious, and dirty. It was exciting as hell.

He had never been denied anything. The world was his, served up to him by mommy and daddy on the proverbial silver platter. Always knowing, however, that he would never, as a hanyou, be as powerful as his father or half-brother.

That is why, out of all the gifts showered upon him by the Inu Taisho and Izayoi, the greatest was Kagome. The pearl of great price.

Like a dog who came home grinning, reeking with the stench of some dead carcass he had rolled in with abandon, he felt free for the first time in his life.

Yet knowing that now his hated half-brother possessed what he had thrown away made him shake with impotent rage.

Yes, hated. He hated Sesshomaru with a passion. Though Sesshomaru lived like a serf on his father's own land, he maintained the bearing of a prince, and had earned the respect and even affection of the people of the valley. Something neither InuYasha nor his father had been granted.

He had recklessly thrown away the one thing that would have leveled the playing field.

How was he going to fix his fuck up?

Did he even want to? He thought about living out his life as a hanyou. Would it really be so bad? He thought of having Kikyo's wicked nails digging into his back, her legs wrapped around his hips as he fucked her long and hard. Unfortunately, the thought led to him picturing Kagome, riding Sesshomaru like a wild stallion.

Kagome was HIS, damn it. InyYasha's hands were clenched into tight fists, his lengthening claws digging into his own flesh. She had been intended for him since the day she was born.

But she had been given to him by his father and mother, like everything else in his fucking life.

There was no way in fucking hell he would go slinking back to Kagome, begging her to take him back. A feral grin spread across his face. No, he was not going to beg anyone for anything. He was going to take Kagome back from his brother. It was going to be like one of the fairy tales he had read to Kagome when she was just a little child, about a prince who fought a dragon, to win back the captive princess.

What had up until now been just another vocabulary word he had to learn for his third-period English class suddenly took on great meaning. Epiphany. When all the pieces of the puzzle magically fell together. He was going to kill his brother. It was meant to be.

The Taisho mansion was a sprawling structure which had undergone frequent additions and renovations as the years of the twentieth century rolled into the twenty-first. Unlike most mansions, the Taisho's home had no alarms or keypads or security cameras to protect its inhabitants or the valuables housed within its walls. With two inu-youki and one inu-hanyou guarding the place, there was simply no need for electronic safeguards.

InuYasha meditated, something he had been taught since childhood to calm his demon blood when it threatened to override his self-control. He centered himself, and took a deep, calming breath, filling his lungs from the bottom to the top. He slowly exhaled, imagining the stress leaving his body with the air that exited his lungs. Having gained some degree of control, he concentrated on sniffing out the location of everyone on the estate. Father was in the game room presiding over his weekly poker gathering. The butler was there as well, mixing Rob Roys and perfect martinis, pouring tumblers of Jack Daniels neat, and fetching Cuban cigars for the Taisho and his cronies. Jaken and Izayoi were not on the premises. Izayoi did not drive, so Jaken had probably taken her somewhere in the Bentley. The cook was in the pantry, sleeping.

If you did not know InuYasha well, you could not be blamed for thinking the brash, volatile hanyou incapable of stealth or subtlety. This was simply not the case. Inu Taisho and Sesshomaru were full demons, who could be likened to the Native American idea of a totem, an animal spirit which could assume humanoid or animal form. In the weird genetic world of hybridization, the hanyou did not have an animal form. The animal characteristics inherited from the Taisho were forced to co-exist with the human characteristics he had inherited from his mother. That is why InuYasha had the ears of a dog, and more prominent fangs and claws than his father or half-brother.

So, silently, he slunk down the dark hallways, making his way to the oldest part of the mansion. The heart of the mansion had once, long ago, been the home of a wealthy Spanish family. The old vineyard they had established still remained, a major component of the ranch's agricultural operation.

The cellars remained cool year-round, without benefit of air conditioning. The stone walls were damp. Stairways zigzagged downward, leading to underground vaults that once held massive wine cellars. The lighting in this part of the mansion was primitive. Thick white wires strung along the ceiling carried power to the occasional, naked light bulb. Master Jaken, the old family retainer, was the only one who spent any time down there. He claimed he was taking care of InuTaisho's treasures, but InuYasha suspected the toad-like youki simply enjoyed spending time in the dank, dark surroundings.

The subterranean vaults held many great treasures. Jewels and mirrors and all manner of magical things. The most important of these items were the three great swords once wielded by the Inu Taisho. S'ounga, Tetsusaiga, and Tensaiga.

The heavy oak doors creaked on their iron hinges as he dragged them open. 'Pops should use the mansion as the set for one of his crappy movies.' InuYasha thought, idly, as he approached the raised dais that held the three swords. S'ounga, though heavily warded, vibrated with menace. Possessed by the spirit of a powerful demon, all Hell would literally break loose if it fell into the wrong hands. Tensaiga, the pussy sword of heaven, appropriately enough, belonged to Sesshy-poo. InuYasha reached out and caressed the hilt of Tetsusaiga, his own legacy from the Inu Taisho. Forged from the Taisho's great fang, it was reputed to have the power to destroy a hundred demons in one killing stroke.

InuYasha only needed to kill one.


	10. Chapter 10

Trailed by a cloud of billowing dust, the truck rolled to a sedate stop at the base of the hundred-and-thirty-three stairs. Sesshomaru got out and gazed up the steps at the shrine. The buildings had always given him a feeling of foreboding, despite the purity and innocence of the girl that lived there. He did not trust Kagome's mother. He did not trust his father, and while he did not fear that punk InuYasha for his own sake, he worried a great deal on behalf of Kagome and his pup. He flipped open his cell phone and hit speed dial.

Nori picked up immediately, which was disconcerting. She never answered on the first ring.

"Mother..."

"Have you decided upon a course of action, my son?" Nori tapped her long, hard, pink-and-white claws on the surface of her desk. The wood was marred with thousands of crescent-moon shaped indentations caused by her nervous habit. She must have been a very bad woman in her previous life for the Kami to give her a mate like the Inu Taisho and a son like Sesshomaru. While her son was molded in her image, he had inherited his father's tendency to rely solely on his strength and training, regarding any kind of planning as ignoble. Even a mother with nerves of steel would be driven to worry over such a son.

"I need you to hide Kagome, and watch over her for me."

"It would not be possible to hide her from the Inu Taisho."

"You will take her to your little love nest."

A long silence filled the airwaves. Her son was a lot sneakier than she had thought, to have discovered her retreat, or as he called it, her 'little love nest'. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

"What if you do not come back? Caring for a ningen girl and the birth of a hanyou will cost money. Your father has left me with nothing, as you know."

"On the spare key ring in your office safe, you will find the key to a safe deposit box."

Visions of sugarplums danced in Nori's head. She adored money and all the wonderful things it could buy. Cars, designer clothing, jewelry…

"There is cash, but not much. Enough to take care of Kagome and you for a few months, if you are careful. It also contains the titles to my automobiles. If the worst happens, take the titles to Eduardo. He will know how to sell my automobiles to get money for you."

Rudolph Valentino was to blame for Sesshomaru's love of the automobile.

During the 'twenties, Izayoi had hosted regular weekly soirees at the ranch. All of the movers and shakers of the film industry were on her guest list.

At that time, two leading men dominated the box office. Douglas Fairbanks was considered the 'All American Man'. Izayoi was frequently cast as his leading lady. Her dark hair and shadowed eyes played well against his fair features and athletic build, and she was short enough that she made him look taller than he really was. Rudolph Valentino was a newcomer to the industry, but was just as popular. Women everywhere swooned over the sultry, dark and mysterious 'Sheik'.

Izayoi demanded that Sesshomaru attend. While his personality was bland, his good looks made him excellent stage dressing at her parties. He always made sure to show up as late as possible, not to be fashionably late, but to avoid the attention of the avid females that made up the Hollywood elite.

Apparently, Valentino had the same plan.

Drinking straight out of the bottle of De Rochegres he held in his left hand, he was attempting to steer and shift the gears of his automobile with his right. The clashing of gears startled Sesshomaru's horse, nearly unseating him. Sesshomaru immediately recognized the driver of the infernal contraption as the latest reincarnation of the mercenary Jakotsu, who seemed cursed to always die young. They had crossed paths, and swords, several times over the years.

The party was held in the orange groves. Hundreds of paper lanterns hung from the branches of the trees. Little café tables were scattered across the grass, and a string quartet played unobtrusively in the background, a welcome change from the loud jazz that usually played during parties at that time. Champaign and caviar were served in abundance. Sesshomaru and Valentino sat at a remote table and drank and talked far into the night.

By August, Jakotsu was dead again. Sesshomaru did not attend his funeral, but he did manage to buy the Model A Duesenberg from his estate.

Sesshomaru overcame his normal reserve and sought out the local mechanic. He approached automobile ownership in true Samurai fashion. He learned the function of the valves and rods and gears that drove his new iron steed, and kept it tuned and functioning in top form at all times. In the process of learning the mechanics of the automobile, Sesshomaru made one of the few friends of his lengthy existence. Miguel, the mechanic, was the great-grandfather of Miguel, the current ranch foreman.

In 1929 Duesenberg introduced the Model J. Sesshomaru still loved the Model A, but Miguel was eager to get close to the advanced new luxury automobile, so at his urging, Sesshomaru became the proud owner of one of the first to be manufactured.

The Great Depression of the 1930s brought the downfall of many of Southern California's well-to-do, and Sesshomaru could not resist buying the best of the luxury automobiles that were being sold off at bargain prices.

Sesshomaru frequently visited his automobiles, which he kept in storage at a facility operated by Eduardo, another of the original Miguel's grandchildren. Sesshomaru's car collection was a little secret he kept from his father.

Nori realized that her son understood exactly how much danger they were all in, if he spoke of selling his precious automobiles.


	11. Chapter 11

"If you find somebody to love you, you can't let that get away"*

KSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

Do you have any bug spray, Sango?" Kagome asked, as she slapped Miroku's wayward hand for what must have been the hundredth time.

Sango, who had been busy in her closet, waded through the pile of outgrown clothing she had thrown out onto her bedroom floor and whacked the back of Miroku's head. "He is like a pesky fly, isn't he?"

"More like a mosquito. His pinches hurt!" Kagome rubbed her thigh, sure there would be a bruise.

"Who could blame a man for lacking restraint when tempted by such an abundance of feminine beauty?" Miroku batted his eyelashes at the girls.

"Sesshomaru Taisho is the first name that comes to mind." Sango folded her arms across her chest. "You know, the guy with the poison fangs and claws?" Her rant was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone going off. "Speak of the devil."

"My house. No, we haven't seen InuYasha. Finding some clothes for Kagome to wear. No. Will do, but don't you think you are being a little paranoid? Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru?" She stared at her phone for a moment before she flipped it shut and dove back into closet. After a little mild cursing, and quite a bit of thrashing around, she emerged carrying a huge canvas knapsack. She began cramming the pile of clothes into the faded, musty-smelling bag. She threw a pair of jeans, a tee-shirt with a built-in shelf bra, and a pair of bright pink bikini panties on the bed, "You can change out of that school uniform in the bathroom..." She saw that the panties had made their way into Miroku's hands. She snatched them away from him and handed them to Kagome. "Sesshomaru wants us to go to the temple and wait for either him or his mother to show up."

"Didn't he even want to speak to me?" Kagome asked.

Sango looked at the younger girl. "You attract the attention of some pretty strange men. Naraku, Kouga, InuYasha. My creepy little brother. But I'll say this for you, you picked out the cream of the crop."

Miroku took pity on their younger friend. "Sesshomaru is just goal oriented. Once the dust settles, Kagome will have plenty of time to teach him to be romantic."

Sango snorted.

A few minutes later, Kagome stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in Sango's old clothes. Sango heard a whimper and turned to see Miroku staring at Kagome, a glazed look in his eyes. "Down, boy." She snapped, her voice like an icicle. Though she worked out like a gorilla, Sango's hips were already spreading, while Kagome, a couch potato who spent most of her time sitting around a shrine with her nose in a book had developed a shape that would make Jessica Rabbit turn green with envy.

They decided to leave InuYasha's SUV in the driveway, and set out for the temple on foot. By the time they left Sango's house, the sun was going down, painting the slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains in golden light. Kagome shrugged her shoulders to settle the knapsack into place, surprised at how natural it felt on her back.

The little valley town's population was divided pretty evenly between humans of European, Japanese, and Latino descent. The Japanese families tended to build their houses in the shadow of the Buddhist temple. Descended from agricultural laborers, and mostly agricultural laborers themselves, they lived in modest one-story houses, constructed of white-painted stucco with red tile roofs. It was supper time, and no traffic moved on the flat, dusty street. It was not long before the temple came into sight. Miroku led the girls through an iron gate, almost hidden by a bougainvillea rampant with papery fuschia blooms.

Miroku's parents had died when he was very young, and he had been raised with a handful of other orphans by the monks on the grounds of the temple. He was the eldest of the children, and because of his lecherous tendencies, it was decided as he grew older that it would be best to allow him to live by himself in the old stable, vacant since the monastery's last horse had passed away some time in the 1970s. Over time, he had converted the stable into a fairly well-equipped bachelor pad. The resourceful boy had managed to wire the stable up so he could watch all the channels on cable, even the premium channels and porn. He had internet access for his laptop, courtesy of a neighbor with an unprotected router. There was even a little refrigerator and a microwave, though InuYasha used that more than Miroku. When you popped the door open, it smelled strongly of spilled ramen, InuYasha's favorite food. Miroku himself almost always managed to score a home-cooked meal, prepared by one of the many kind, middle-aged women who had taken him under their wings. When all else failed, he ate at Sango's, though her cooking skills were not the best.

The girls piled onto Miroku's beat-up couch. "Would you care for some wine, ladies?" Miroku asked in a smarmy voice. Miroku always had wine available. He got it free as an added perk for working in a local winery during the bottling season.

"Miroku, have you overlooked the fact that Kagome might very well be pregnant?" Sango hissed. "Don't you have anything non-alcoholic?"

Miroku rummaged around in the refrigerator, and came out with three curvaceous glass bottles, which beaded with dew when they came into contact with the warm air. Though most of his guests guzzled wine, he kept the little green glass bottles of Coke around, even though they cost hard cash, just to see Kagome smile. "How about a movie and some popcorn, then?"

Miroku sat between the two girls. "The Wedding Singer" was just starting, and ten minutes into the movie they were laughing like a pack of hyenas. "Jak! It's Jak!" Kagome screamed, pointing at the television screen. "And Miroku is just like Sammy." Kagome decided.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Except Miroku is even more of a player." Sango amended.

Miroku thought that Kagome was exactly like Julia, and InuYasha was channeling Glenn. But he kept that to himself.

"Sesshomaru is just like Robbie."

Sango looked at Miroku, who was looking at Kagome. "I've heard love is blind, but..."

"Come on Sango, can't you picture Sesshomaru giving that sweet old lady music lessons, and taking meatballs as payment?" Miroku asked, trying to appear serious.

In her mind, Sango substituted Sesshomaru for Adam Sandler in the scene where the old lady, Rosie, tells him "I didn't mean about the wedding, I mean about the wedding night. Will this be your first time with intercourse? Well, don't be ashamed. You know, when I got married, I wasn't a virgin. I had already had intercourse with eight men." She snorted and Coke came shooting out of her nose. "Oh, Hell no!"

Miroku was so well-behaved throughout the course of the movie that Sango let him pick the one they would watch next. "Have either of you ladies watched "Boogie Nights"?

*This author does not own "The Wedding Singer" or "Inuyasha"


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey, chica! Want to go on a date?" Kikyo stuck her nose up in the air, but swung her hips proudly as she strutted down the cracked concrete sidewalk. The block she lived on was of wooden construction, two-story structures put up sometime in the 1920s. The beat-up buildings housed businesses on their lower floors. Apartments occupied the upper stories. She and her mother lived above a beauty shop. She pulled open the glass door and was surrounded by the harsh chemical scents of permanent solution, hair dye, and cigarette smoke. The dark paneled walls were covered with faded posters, showing hairstyles that had not been popular for at least a decade. A vestibule occupied one corner of the little shop, with a steep flight of sagging wooden steps leading to the second floor. Balancing on her high heels, Kikyo pulled the keys out of the Juicy Couture handbag she had talked InuYasha into buying for her. She used the smallest key to open one of the two little mailboxes bolted to the paneled wall. She pulled out a handful of envelopes. Bills, bills, and more bills.

Her heels clacked as she made her way up the stairs. There was a small landing, with two doors. She used a big old-fashioned skeleton key to unlock the door marked with a tarnished metal '2'. Home sweet home.

Urusue sat slumped over the card table where they ate their meals, smoke spiraling upward from a cigarette held between two of her gnarled fingers. Kikyo threw the mail on the table in front of her mother.

"You're home early." The voice was deep and rich. Their landlord, Naraku, was sprawled on one of the folding metal chairs. As usual, he had situated himself in a dark corner as if hiding from the light that came in through the dingy window.

"I had a rotten day." The linoleum floor felt sticky beneath the soles of her shoes. She opened the refrigerator, making sure to give Naraku a good view of her ass as she leaned over to look inside. She pulled out a loaf of Wonder Bread and a big jar of Jif. She set them on the counter and efficiently set about making peanut butter sandwiches. "Is the kid around?"

'The kid' was Sango's younger brother. Lately, he had become Naraku's little lackey.

"It's just the three of us, my darling." Urusue ground her cigarette out. The chipped saucer she used as an ashtray was full of lipstick stained butts.

Kikyo poured three plastic tumblers full of dark red Kool-Aid and set them around the table. She cut the sandwiches into neat triangles, and arranged them on paper plates. "One for me." She placed a plate before the only empty chair. "One for you." She put another in front of her mother. "And three for our lord." Her shirt gapped open as she bent over the table. Looking into the shadows, she tried to determine if Naraku was impressed. He gazed back at her, his eyes glowing red. Making promises for later.

"So, have you made any progress with your beau?" Urusue asked in her best attempt at a girlish voice. The effect was ludicrous, given the deep crevices carved into her forehead and cheeks. The light that made it through the dirty window threw her face into sharp relief, making it look as though the tip of her pointy chin was trying to meet the end of her long, hooked nose.

Kikyo sat on her folding chair, and put her elbows on the table with a gusty sigh.

Naraku leaned forward. "Don't tell me the half-breed is proving resistant to your charms, Kikyo."

"It's that wretched girl Kagome's fault. InuTaisho and Izayoi are practically forcing her down InuYasha's throat." She took a big bite out of her sandwich, then threw it down on her plate in disgust.

"Don't wrinkle your forehead, dear."

Kikyo shuddered, considering the possibility she might someday come to resemble her mother.

Naraku laughed his dark laugh. "Don't worry. That's what plastic surgeons are for."

She wondered, not for the first time, if he could read her thoughts.

"You are certain Kagome has not given herself to InuYasha?" Her mother asked.

"Definitely not! That girl is so virginal, she squeaks when she walks!"

Naraku and Urusue both giggled. Urusue got up and opened a kitchen drawer. She rummaged around, emerging triumphant with a cellophane bag. She hunched her way back to the table, sliding the bag so it came to a stop in front of her daughter.

"Halls?"

Urusue cackled with glee. "Pop one of those in your mouth next time you give the half-breed a blow job."

Kikyo's mouth was a thin, grim line. "His parents already have him halfway convinced I'm a whore!"

"A man likes a woman who knows what she's doing. God knows, I do." Naraku was not telling the truth. While Kikyo got him hard, and he used her to sate his lust frequently, he was repelled by her knowing ways. The girl thought she had invented sex, and Urusue had convinced her that her pussy was plated in 18-karat gold. It was Kagome that he saw as he pounded into Kikyo. Good thing he had disciplined himself to always call the women he fucked "baby". In the dark, they were all "baby", but in his mind, they were all Kagome.

Kikyo reached across the table to grab her mother's Newports. The old lady saw what she was up to, and smacked her hand sharply.

Huffing, Kikyo got up and stalked to the door.

"Where do you think you're going, girl?"

"Out." She felt guilty. Her mother had given up so much for her to have a good future. The plastic surgery, private school tuition, uniforms and textbooks, all cost a bundle. "I'm just going to the corner to buy some smokes, mama."

Naraku fished around in the pocket of his jeans, coming out with a fat money clip. He didn't just own the building that housed the beauty shop and their apartment. He owned all the buildings on the block, and had an interest in many of the businesses. He peeled off a couple of twenties. "Pick me up a box of Marlboro's, and a fifth of Jack while you're at it." He knew she was underage, but the proprietor of the corner store owed him, big time.

The toad drove through the dusty afternoon streets, cruising for girls in short skirts. He always drove the Bentley. Lord Sesshomaru had arranged to have it customized for a handicapped driver, so Jaken could handle the big car in spite of his own diminutive stature. Behind the wheel, he almost felt like a real man.

He had been driving aimlessly for hours, covering every street in the little town over and over. If he were asked, he would have declared it a waste of time, and headed for the Taisho mansion. But he was not asked. Lady Izayoi never asked his opinion about anything.

His mental ranting was interrupted as he took a double take. A girl sashayed down the sidewalk, teetering on precarious high heels, purse swinging jauntily from her arm. Bingo!

"Lady Izayoi, Lady Izayoi, it is her, the little whore!"

"Pull over. And keep your trap shut, Jaken. I won't have you messing this up with your big mouth."

"Yes, milady. Anything you say, ma'am. You can count on my complete…."

"Just. Shut. Up." The beautiful woman growled.

Jaken's annoying voice died off into an indistinct whine as he rolled the car to a stop beside the girl.


	13. Chapter 13

Sesshomaru could move blindingly fast when he wanted to, but he climbed the steps to the shrine with his characteristic stately strut. According to Shinto tradition, the many steps represented a metaphysical journey. A visit to the shrine was intended to be a pilgrimage of sorts. The 133 steps were meant to encourage contemplation and meditation. His younger brother appeared to regard them as a track and field event. The whelp did not possess even a modicum of personal dignity or respect for tradition. When he felt his lips quirk at the mental image of InuYasha hurdling up the stairs, Sesshomaru stopped himself cold. This was about Kagome. Making Kagome his had nothing to do with proving his superiority over InuYasha. He resolved that the whelp would have no place in his thoughts or actions today. Today was all about legitimizing his relationship with Kagome, and making sure his father and Mrs. Higurashi understood that their union was immutable.

The more steps he climbed, the more of the shrine buildings were revealed, silhouetted forebodingly against the blood-orange afternoon sky.

While his father and brother were frequent visitors at the shrine, and didn't seem bothered by the place, Sesshomaru made a habit of avoiding the shrine and its grounds. It was more than his distrust of Mrs. Higurashi, or her dislike of him. The uneasy feeling could be a result of the sacred rituals that were practiced here, the sutras and prayers and the scent of incense that made his nose twitch and the hairs at the nape of his neck bristle, but he didn't think so. It didn't feel like the worship of the old gods of his native land. It felt human, it felt malignant, and it felt like dark magic.

InuYasha was getting impatient. Sesshomaru seemed to have stalled out halfway up the steps. He had come to a halt, and appeared to be testing the air around him. InuYasha assumed the bastard had sensed him in his hiding place at the top of the steps in the shadow at the base of the torii gate.

InuYasha had more than his father's sword and his animal instincts going for him in a fight. Pops had made sure of that by ordering Sesshomaru to train his younger brother in the tactics of battle. InuYasha smirked. While the bastard had seemed to relish the opportunity to beat the crap out of him, while showing off how damn superior his full-demon ass was, Sesshomaru had not shirked his duty.

Thanks to his brother, InuYasha knew how to handle a sword. He knew how to hide himself, and catch his opponent unaware. He knew to set himself up in a superior position, and wait for the optimum moment to attack. He knew to put his enemy at a disadvantage by using the steepness of the steps and the acute angle of the setting sun against him.

Presently, InuYasha realized that he had a further advantage, and that was that his brother was distracted. Pretty ironic, given the emphasis Sesshomaru-sensai had placed on the importance of always being alert and prepared for enemy attack. He couldn't begin to count the times Sesshomaru had cuffed him on the back of his head, as a punishment for not being aware of his surroundings.

InuYasha adjusted his grip on the hilt of the Tetsusaiga, quivering with tension. This moment would define his worth. He would wield his father's fang in battle, defeating the demon that had defiled Kagome. His brother's blood would wash away the stigma of his shameful heritage and the stain of his own dishonorable behavior toward his intended. The sword pulsed in his grip, responding to the sincerity of his intentions.

InuYasha had planned to hold off his attack until Sesshomaru reached the tenth step from the top, but his plan changed when he saw Sesshomaru assume a defensive stance. The bastard may have grown unaccustomed to combat, but the pulse of youkai that accompanied the Tetsusaiga's transformation obviously put him on the alert.

The hanyou raised his sword for a downward strike, the most powerful of the seven cuts, and launched himself down the steps.

Sesshomaru recognized the power signature of his father's fang. It kept him from being totally unprepared for InuYasha's headlong attack. Evaluating the situation, he felt a moment of gratification that the hanyou had at least learned something from his lessons. Based on prior mock-battles, he calculated that InuYasha's attack would be fast and powerful, but easily evaded, given his own superior speed and coordination. Crouching and lunging to the side, Sesshomaru planned to turn his opponent's advantage into a disadvantage. Once the momentum of the attack propelled InuYasha past him, he would force him to submit and disarm him easily.

That was Sesshomaru's plan, anyway. Somehow, InuYasha's reflexes had increased to an amazing degree. He felt the bite of his father's fang in his upper arm.

He had never used his acid whip on the whelp, but waylaying one's unarmed brother was hardly honorable. All bets were off, and if father had a problem with that, so be it. His body's reaction to the injury finally caught up with his intellect. The pain washed over Sesshomaru in a burning white-hot flood, and all awareness fled.


	14. Chapter 14

Cards and poker chips scattered everywhere as Inu Taisho shoved the card table out of his way. His chair spun across the room and broke to pieces when it crashed against the wall. Ryoichi and his brother Ryozo, the only other demons present, had jumped to their feet as well, leaving the human men, who could not feel the tidal wave of jyaki, looking alarmed and clueless.

The Dog General slammed the solid oak double doors of the game room open with his shoulder and pounded down the hallway, the dragon demons hot on his heels. The epicenter of the jyaki wave was the Higurashi Shrine. Moments later the three stood under the torii gate, staring down in awe at the battle taking place on the shrine steps.

InuYasha, his jeans and tee shirt in tatters, breath coming in labored gasps, was doing battle with a great, shaggy white dog. The stone steps were running with blood and thick, noxious, acid-green ichor.

'Unbelievable!' Inu Taisho thought. Even in the most remote ends of the earth, no demon had been able to achieve transformation since the advent of the atomic age. Yet his little hanyou had somehow managed to get the mighty Tetsusaiga to transform. While he appeared to have forgotten every lesson he had ever been taught about swordsmanship, he was holding his own against the dog, which was fast, feral, and had to weigh a good 250 pounds. The dog was obviously youkai. Its overwhelming demonic aura literally vibrated with power and rage.

The dog rounded on InuYasha with blazing speed, ripping into the meat of his thigh with sharp, two-inch fangs. It was then that Inu Taisho and his two comrades recognized the dog's demonic markings.

"Sesshomaru!" Inu Taisho bellowed in shock. The dog was distracted as it rolled out of the reach of Tetsusaiga. A loud yelp split the air as the sword sliced through the upper part of the dog's left leg. Inu Taisho launched himself down the stairs, the slick soles of his huarache sandals slipping the blood of his sons.

Sesshomaru did not recognize his father's voice, or even the sound of his own name. He knew he was in a fight, he knew he was grievously wounded, and instinct told him that the arrival of the three humanoid demons on the scene could not mean anything good for him. Instinct was all Sesshomaru had, and instinct told him to run for his life.

Her daddy was calling her. She ignored his voice, choosing instead to concentrate on the prey she was stalking. She'd been bitten before. It was an experience she didn't like, so she learned to be alert and quick. She held herself perfectly still and then quickly lunged, grabbing the rattlesnake and snapping its spine in the air like a whip.

A half a dozen dogs were laying around in the shade of the gas pumps, panting, so Giddy knew his daughter was close. He limped across the dusty parking lot and nudged the bitch, Sheba, in the side with the toe of his combat boot. "Find your girl!" He commanded. Sheba, who was getting old like her master, lurched upright and made her way through the service bay to the back of the garage.

The lot out back was sun-baked and full of weeds and the rusting detritus of Giddy's derelict service station. The man followed the dog as she threaded her way through the minefield of broken glass and sand burrs.

Sheba came to a stop by what remained of an ancient cab-over Peterbilt, her tail wagging vaguely as she looked over her shoulder at Giddy.

Giddy walked around the gutted tractor, and spotted the girl, crouched in the dust with something hanging out of her mouth. Looked like the tail end of a snake.

Sheba walked up to the little urchin and bunted her with her snout, causing the little girl to giggle and swallow the tail of the snake. The motherly dog used her tongue to wash the scamp's dirty face, and looked at Giddy, seemingly for approval.

"Ready for dinner, babydoll?" She grunted and ran straight at him. He held out his arms just in time, picking her up on the fly and swinging her around as she laughed gleefully, exposing her sharp little fangs. Giddy winced as his back objected to the punishment. She wrapped her legs around his chest and her arms around his neck, flexible as a little monkey, and leaned her head on his shoulder, thumb in her mouth.

Followed by a retinue of dogs, Giddy carried his daughter across the street and up the stairs of the farmhouse his grandfather had built during the Great Depression. Some twenty years ago, Giddy had removed the wooden lower panel of the screen door his grandpa had built so carefully by hand so that the girl and the dogs could scamper in and out. He set his little girl down on the porch and watched as the seat of her overalls and the soles of her little bare feet disappeared through the doggy door, followed by the scrabbling paws and wagging tails of the dogs.

Giddy filled the enamel washtub in the corner of the kitchen floor with dog chow he bought in fifty-pound bags from the feed store. He set the girl on the counter so she wouldn't get into the dog's food. He got out a saucepan and a can opener and a can of pork and beans and a can of Vienna franks. She set to work opening the cans, taking great care not to cut her fingers on the lids while Giddy popped slices of bread in the toaster.

There were six mismatched wooden chairs around the kitchen table, but it had been years since anyone sat in them. The table was cluttered with old mail and things that needed mending and his guitar and banjo.

First, Maria died. His mother stayed on for a while, to help him with the older children. Years went by and one by one, the kids left home and got jobs and started their own families. Ten years ago, mom passed away, and he and the girl, who still had the appearance of a five-year-old, were all that was left. The two ate bachelor-style, over the sink and counter, to save on cleaning up. He didn't bother with dumping fruit cocktail in a bowl like he used to, or heating up creamed corn or French-cut green beans. He knew she was getting fruit and vegetables in her diet. Tommy Hotaka had been over just last month bitching about her pilfering melons and table grapes from his truck farm. Tommy was kind of obsessive natured. The other farmers in the valley had given up complaining years ago.

Giddy figured it was his own thieving that got him his daughter. Giddy came back home from 'Nam to find that his father had sold the station to Naraku, then destroyed his liver on the cheap booze he bought with the money from the sale. Naraku allowed Giddy to stay on and run the station, but business declined as gas customers started patronizing the new, modern, brightly lit chain stations closer to town. Locals still came when they needed a serpentine belt installed, or some spot welding, or to score a little coke, which brought in more money than the diesel fuel and gasoline he sold.

So, inevitably, Giddy got caught with his hand in the till. To teach him not to fuck with what belonged to him, Naraku took Maria on the dirty tile floor of the station. She was sick as a dog for six months. When the time came for the baby to be born, Maria was already thin and weak. Naraku was nowhere around when the quarter-demon clawed her way into the world. Maria didn't survive the blood loss.

Naraku did stop by long enough to name the baby Rin. He told Giddy the name meant "soldier on" in Japanese.


End file.
